KINGSPORT, Tennessee — Domtar Paper has filed a response to a federal lawsuit over alleged “noxious odor emissions” from the company’s Kingsport recycled packaging mill. The civil lawsuit names two Kingsport residents as class representatives in a proposed class action. In the response filed on May 18, Domtar’s attorneys denied that the company releases noxious odors that invade the plaintiff’s property. The company also said the plaintiffs’ claims about regulatory violations are inaccurate. In the response, Domtar denies that members of the public “have suffered damages or injury due to noxious odors emitted from the facility.” The company argued that the plaintiffs’ claims should be dismissed because “the alleged damages are too speculative, remote and wholly out of proportion to the negligence or nuisance alleged.” …Domtar continues to work on a new wastewater system designed to eliminate odors that the company has admitted to causing.
WASHINGTON, Georgia — A sawmill that once stood as the largest east of the Mississippi River in the 1990s has reopened, offering relief to Georgia’s timber industry as it struggles with mill closures, Hurricane Helene damage and recent wildfires. Wilkes Lumber has brought the old mill back online in Washington, a small mill town surrounded by endless pines along Highway 78. The facility is already operating in phase one with about 50 workers, with more hiring expected as phase two comes online in the next few weeks. The mill shut down because of the cost and capability of getting rid of chips, according to Mack Winfrey. …At a time when Georgia’s timber industry is fighting to hold on, Washington is getting back something it lost a quarter-century ago: jobs, a market and a little more hope.
FLORIDA — On the heels of Escambia County adopting an ordinance to establish an Economic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemption (EDATE) for West Fraser, the sawmill company announced a $70.25 million expansion, creating 30 new jobs. The board voted to approve the ordinance, which will give the Canada-based lumber company a 70% ad valorem tax exemption for a period of five years. Shortly after the vote, FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance announced that West Fraser has invested $70,250,000 in capital expenditures to expand its existing sawmill operation in McDavid. …The project is expected to generate substantial economic activity across Escambia County, supporting local suppliers, contractors and service providers. …Over the next five years, the estimate of the taxable value lost to the county is $70,252,000 improvements to real property, and $3,400,000 to tangible personal property.
Mass timber is frequently praised for its aesthetic appeal and sustainability benefits. However, what often goes unrecognized are the construction phase advantages it brings to a project—advantages that directly impact schedule certainty, jobsite safety and overall delivery predictability. Beyond appearance and environmental performance, mass timber fundamentally changes how buildings are built. For owners and developers focused on speed to market and reduced risk, these operational benefits deserve just as much attention as design and carbon metrics. Mass timber construction shifts critical decision-making earlier in the project lifecycle. Structural elements such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels and glulam beams are fabricated off-site and arrive ready to install. There is no waiting on cure times, no extended periods of formwork or shoring, and fewer weather-related delays during structural erection.
The Trump administration is drastically cutting the budget, and reorganizing the U.S. Forest Service, moving its headquarters and research facilities to western states. In Pennsylvania, four research sites are on the chopping block. As forest ecologist Richard Bowden walks through an old growth section of the Allegheny National Forest, he points toward the ground. It’s barren of young trees. “There’s nothing,” said Bowden, a professor of environmental science and sustainability at nearby Allegheny College. “And that’s because of deer.” Deer overpopulated this area, called Heart’s Content, and much of the Allegheny Plateau, for decades; they eat whatever vegetation they can reach. …While the ideas behind this deer management demonstration might seem simple, it’s taken decades of research to understand the problem, and do the work to actually keep the deer population in balance with the forest. 
With wildfires already burning and drought persisting across much of the US, fire experts are bracing for what could be an extreme fire season. The U.S. Forest Service is going into it having done far less work than in recent years to manage the dry, flammable vegetation that can fuel catastrophic fires. In 2025, the Forest Service reduced vegetation on almost 1.5 million fewer acres than in 2024, according to an analysis of the agency’s data by NPR and firefighting experts. …The Forest Service said in a statement that the drop in prevention work is mostly due to staff being occupied with firefighting and because environmental conditions were not right for doing prescribed burns in the Southeast. The agency lost 16% of its workforce as of last summer, with 5,860 personnel leaving in the first six months of 2025 as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the size of government. 
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is planting nearly 2 million tree seedlings on DNR-managed forest land across the state this spring. Each year, DNR foresters coordinate tree plantings in state forests, wildlife management areas, state parks, and other DNR-managed lands. This spring, 14 species will be planted on more than 3,000 acres throughout the state, including several varieties of pine, spruce and oak, as well as yellow birch, sugar maple, black walnut and tamarack. These reforestation efforts are led by the DNR’s Silviculture Program. Silviculture is the art and science of growing and tending forests to serve a variety of goals, including clean air and water, recreation opportunities, healthy wildlife habitat, biodiversity and timber productivity. Foresters consider current characteristics, climate resilience and future goals for each site to create a plan for planting and ongoing care.
The Louisiana House of Representatives on May 13 voted unanimously to approve a bill that aims to benefit the state’s wood pellet manufacturing industry. Also on May 13, the bill reported favorably out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs. The legislation now awaits action from the Louisiana Senate. The bill, HB 670, was introduced in late February by state Rep. Charles Owen and amended twice as it moved through House committees. It aims to benefit the state’s wood pellet manufacturing industry by streamlining permitting, developing a skilled workforce and facilitating the efficient transportation and export of wood pellets. The bill, as amended, allows Louisiana Economic Development, a cabinet-level agency focused on business growth, to support the recruitment, retention, and expansion of wood pellet manufacturing facilities in this state within existing statutory authority and subject to the availability of funds. 
MAINE — According to the Fire Marshal’s Office, multiple departments sustained damage to their fire trucks and equipment during the Searsmont incident, impacting departments that are already limited on resources. “Seeing the ploom of black smoke, it immediately puts a lump in your throat,” said Belmont Fire Chief Ron Harford, as he reflected on Friday’s fire and explosion at Robbins Lumber. In the aftermath of the Searsmont fire, the Belmont Fire Department is supporting injured firefighter Katherine Paige and navigating the loss of a critical tank truck. …”Searsmont’s going to be hugely affected because they’ve lost two of their immediate mutual aid town’s trucks, plus their tank truck,” said Harford. On top of that, Chief Harford says the department lost between $50 to $60 thousand worth of equipment that was on the truck. …”Mr. Cross [Fallen Firefighter Andrew Cross] is our biggest loss. He was a tremendous firefighter a tremendous person,” said Harford.
MAINE – Fires and explosions have long been threats to Maine’s lumber and paper mills. In April 2020, a pulp digester exploded at the Androscoggin Mill in Jay. Some people were treated for respiratory issues, but no casualties were reported. The paper mill closed permanently in 2023. At Irving Forest Products in Dixfield, an explosion and fire in May 2021 damaged a machine used to move wood chips. No injuries were reported in either incident. “The fuel load at a lumber mill is exceedingly high,” said James Graves, director of the Maine Fire Service Institute, which provides and certifies firefighter training programs. “There are so many variables, they happen regularly all over the state and beyond.” But Graves said relatively few are as tragic as the fiery explosion at Robbins Lumber Inc. in Searsmont that injured 12 people and killed Andrew Cross, 27, a member of the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department. Eight were still hospitalized Tuesday.
GEORGIA — Residents of a Port Wentworth neighborhood believe chemical dust from a nearby International Paper mill is causing health concerns and property damage. Many residents reported shared health symptoms, including sinus issues, burning eyes and coughing. Despite resident complaints and visible white powder on cars and homes, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division has not found the mill in violation of its permits. …The Savannah Morning News collected dust scraped off of one resident’s car about 700 feet from the mill and sent it to third-party lab Eurofins for testing. Eurofins stated that most of the sample was likely calcium carbonate, a white to tan odorless powder, a major component of lime mud. The International Paper mill generates lime mud, according to its operating permit. …The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) confirmed that the dust contained calcium, and narrowed down the likely culprit to the mill’s lime kiln.
OSCODA COUNTY, Mich. — Crews are working to contain a wildfire in Oscoda County after it prompted evacuations Monday. The wildfire is about 100 acres and primarily on national forest land around Camp Ten Road near Lost Sky Ranch. Residents living near Camp 10 Road were evacuated to a shelter Monday afternoon, but were able to return home several hours later. Monday night officials said two structures were destroyed and the fire was about 80 percent contained. …A Red Flag Warning is in effect for parts of Michigan due to critical fire weather, including high winds, low humidity and dry vegetation.
